Prior to the 7:05 pm start to the Cubs Nationals game on August 10, the Cubs will unveil a statue for Ron Santo. No info on the location, but Ricketts made the announcement at Cubs Convention. I will have to get tickets for that game. That will be an emotional day. Can we do a BCB get together for this event?

RIP Ron. I am glad your family will have this day in Chicago, and your statue there forever for family and friends.

The letter below I just mailed to Tom Ricketts. It is long, and for that I am sorry, but I have reached my tipping point, and I needed to get it all out. I don't want to be bummed out and down anymore, so here it is. If it connects with anyone else out there, then it was worth it. If it annoys anyone, I will say I am sorry now.

Have a good week BCB

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June 29, 2010

To: Tom Ricketts

      Owner – Chicago Cubs

      1060 W. Addison

      Chicago, IL. 60613

Dear Mr. Ricketts,

Hello. I hope this letter finds you well. I know your plate is full with a thousand different things going on with the Cubs and your other businesses.

I am writing to you about the 2010 Chicago Cubs Fantasy Camp at Wrigley Field this coming August.  I will turn 40 years old in September, and my wife wanted to do something huge for me for my Birthday this year. We have talked for a few years about going to the Cubs Fantasy Camp in AZ, but with me raising our two-year old, being gone for 8 days is not really an option right now.

I saw the poster advertising the 1st Annual Cubs Fantasy Camp at Wrigley (originally for 2 days in July) at the Cubs Convention in January. My wife and thought this was perfect, 2 days, on the weekend, and all at beautiful Wrigley Field! There was no mention of the cost, but the poster said to check cubs.com and details would be coming soon.

I kept checking the website, with no new information being posted. My wife and I thought we would use the Randy Hundley Camp in AZ. as a price guide. We figured the price might be $1,500.00 - $3,000.00 depending on the schedule and what was planned.

My wife said she would take Monday off to take care of the kids, and would take care of all the expenses.

I received a flyer at Wrigley Field when numbered wrist bands were being given out that advertised the Fantasy Camp, but still no information on price or schedule was provided.

Several times over the last few months I selected the  “contact us” link on the cubs.com website to ask if there was any additional information that could be provided, or when it might be posted. I received no reply, so I kept working and set money aside this summer.

Finally last week there was more information and the costs for the Camp listed on the website. I felt like I was going to get sick to my stomach when I saw the price of  $7,500.00! That is just  $490.00 short of being DOUBLE the cost of the Randy Hundley Camp in Arizona, and that camp is 8 days long!

I can’t afford this. In fact I don’t know anyone that can afford this. I am sure there are some Hedge Fund Managers in Chicago that can afford it, but no one in my community of friends and family.

So, I am writing to you Mr. Ricketts to ask for help. Is there any financial assistance or scholarship available? I could write an article for Vine Line about my experiences at Camp as payment. I am a partner in a Video Production Company, 355 Productions. I could offer Video Services as “trade-out”.

I don’t know what else to do?  I saw the mention in the description of the Camp that the price per registrant would drop to $6,000.00 if two signed up, and to $5,000.00 if three were to sign up. Although to me that reads as, “We are still making a good profit at 5K per registrant, so we are really killing you at $7,500.000”, I posted info on websites such as Bleedcubbieblue.com and others to see if I could get another fan or two to help me get the cost down. Not one person has responded. Reading all the comments posted to my ask, it is all the same, no one can afford or is willing to spend that amount of money.

I asked friends co-workers and family for help as a  Birthday/Christmas/Anniversary present of to sign –up and join me to help reduce the cost. Why am I doing this? Why does it have to cost this much money? This is wrong! No one can help me in this economy, I should not have even asked.

Ryan McDonough from the Cubs has been in contact about the Camp this week. He told me there is no help with airfare and that they are “working” on a discount at the Hilton, but there is nothing yet. This Camp is about a month away, and there is no information about transportation to and from the ballpark, deposit, refund policy, what happens if there is a rainout? Where is the reception to be held in the evening on Monday? What time do campers arrive on August 8 and 9? What happens after the game on the 8th? Are we just on our own for the rest of the day? I think this is all information that should be listed on the website

Again Mr. Ricketts, I know you have a lot on your plate, I have just been really let down by how things have been handled by the Cubs this year, and it just keeps going on.

I wrote several months ago about the “Newborn Cubs” program with a birth certificate, announcement photo on the Wrigley Field sign and Cubs onezie and hat. I wrote to ask about purchasing this for my two – year old, but since he was two, is there a way I could just purchase the certificate and Photo, or were there any other options for outfit for older kids? To this day no one has ever written back to me.

I mentioned before about sending e-mails asking for more information about the pricing for Cubs Camp and never getting a response.

My wife and I each submitted essays for the “Way of Life” contest. It would have been nice to receive a form letter saying we did not win, but thank you for submitting. We received nothing, I had to log onto the website to find out about the ten winners on my own.

The pre-sale 30% markup on regular season tickets, and now the $7,500.00 price for less than 24 hours at Wrigley.

I know you are putting in a lot of work for your  “Game Day Ambassadors” and such to improve fans experiences at Wrigley. To this out of town fan it feels like Cub experiences are getting priced out of my life.

I think I have been a good fan and loyal customer over the years.  

I have gone to Spring Trainings, to Cubs Conventions, taken the Wrigley Field Tour, gone to the” Meet the Team, Have a Ball” event, purchased a Wrigley Field Brick, founding member of the Cubs Club, purchased a three year subscription to Vine Line, taken my wife to Wrigley for our 1st date, flown my ten year-old daughter down with us for games each year, and named our son Ted after Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly.

My wife still wanted to send me to the Fantasy Camp, but I will not let her wreck our savings for this. All of the stress over this has just made me ill.

This has been a dream of mine to do, and for the last 6 months I thought it was going to happen. I would get to play baseball at Wrigley Field, wearing a jersey with my name on the back, and now I know it won’t, and if that is the price (and it will only get higher each year), I will never be able to afford it.

Why can’t a loyal hard working fan go to this? Are you really trying to price out the largest part of the fan base? There has never been a Cub event I could not afford to go to until now. For the price you are charging I could get almost 16 days at the Randy Hundley Camp, with hotel and transportation included.

I know the Cubs do not “owe” me anything, but when I think of all the time and money I have invested over the years, from when I almost died in the hospital from complications from a perforated intestine, was in the hospital for 30 days and asked my friends to bring me some Cubs stuff to hang in my room.

Making sure my daughter’s 1st professional baseball game was a Cubs game, so I could pass the tradition down from my Dad to her. 

This is not the ranting of a fan that has had a bad week. This has been building all year, and I think I am done. I have posted my tickets for the series I was going to fly down for in July and September for sale on-line. We were going to fly my son down next year to attend his 1st game and I don’t even want to think about it right now.

I feel like no one is hearing me, or understanding the stress this has put my family through.

I have been a Cubs fan my entire life, and through my passion have brought all of my family with me. I do not think it is worth it anymore, the expense and hassle, and being out of town. I think taking my kids to the Minnesota Twins will be easier and they are more family friendly. I know my heart won’t be in it 100%, but my kids are young enough that they don’t have all the baggage that I do.

My wife and daughter are all upset as to what is going to happen for my Birthday now and how down I have been, I just wish I had never seen the 1st Annual Cubs Camp poster back in January.

Sincerely,

-       Chris

Does anyone have a copy of "Forever Cubs" that aired

on WGN this year?

My daughter had an accident with the DVR last night, and now my copy of the show is gone. Checked the WGN site, and don't see a listing for them re-broadcasting it.

Does any BCB'er have a copy that they could burn a dvd for me?

I would be happy to pay for your trouble. I loved that program, and would love to get it back somehow. Thanks.

I just pulled this off of www.chicagosports.com

 Left-hander Rich Hill was placed on the disabled list with back spasms for a second time this summer. It is possible Hill won't pitch the final month of the minor-league season.

Not that we were counting on him for the stretch run, but not the way I expected this year to go for him.

His back issues sound chronic now. What gives? I thought his changes delivery was meant to correct his back issues.

Al, if this violates any BCB policy, please let me know, and if it does feel free to remove this post.

If it is ok, I would like to ask for everyone's help. I have signed up with the Cubs West Side Rooters Club. They are having a contest to see who can sign up the most new members by June 30th.

The person that signs up the most gets dinner for 4 at Harry Carry's with Ernie banks, and 4 front row tix to a Cubs game.

I lived in Chicago for several years, and now am in Western Wisconsin. (Here is my shameless plug) I would love to be able to have my wife and 9 month old son meet a man that has had such an impact on my life. With the newborn, we don't get to Chicago much now. This would be a dream come true.

So, if someone has beat me to this idea, then delete this post, but if not, would any of you that have time in the next 2 days click on the link below and join? All they need is an e-mail, your name, and my e-mail for the referral. My e-mail is:

chris@355productions.com

There is no cost, and after you join, you can even select a "do not e-mail me" box.

If I get there, I will wear my BCB/Project 3000 shirt, and give BCB some mad props.

Thank you all.

I know Al posted some designs for the new BCB shirts. I am not sure what the current status is on the new shirts, but if they have not been produced yet, I think a consideration of puttting, "Were on a mission from God" on them somewhere may be called for.

I hope the above does not offend anyone, just think this is a very special year, and we may need a very special shirt to remember it by. Thoughts?

If the shirts have been completed, please forgive my tardiness in keeping up with the updates.

Let's go get em' today

I just cxld it. I have Comcast in Wisconsin. Was all excited to sign up for it for the 1st time. So far this season they have not carried 3 Cubs games. All games were carried by Comcast SportsNet in Chicago in addition to the feed that was being carried by the opposing team.

I called to complain. It's the same company, Comcast. How can they not carry the feed?

Two Saturdays in a row, they did not carry the Cubs game. I called again. Why am I paying $159.00 to work all week and then not be able to see the Cubs games on the weekend.

One day I looked up the MLB schedule, there were 15 games that day, and Extra Innings was airing 4!

I had just had it. I called and they gave me a full refund, and I told them I am switching over to the MLB.com package.

I do not live in a blackout area, I do not get why Extra Innings can't do a better job. They have to know Cubs fans have to be in the top 3 groups that would sign up for Extra Innings. Would it not be a good idea to carry all the feeds?

Hope the new owners will start a Cubs channel, ie. NESN, or YES. With the great Cubs Forever program, I am sure the Cubs could generate 24-7 content built around the Cubs games and minor league team broadcasts.

So I am done with Extra Innings and wanted to ask how people are doing with the GameDay video?

Thanks for letting me vent.

My wife purchased a great Wrigley Field framed poster this weekend. I was looking at the details I can make out on the poster (it is not dated).

It is from last year (can see the Under Armor on the outfield doors) The Cubs are playing the Astros.  Looks like Z is pitching. I cannot make out the score, but it is the top of the 8th, and the board says, Chris Burke 1-3, Triple.

Looks about 5:10 pm on the clock. That is all the info I can glean from the print.

Any stat peeps out there that might be able to help me figure out the date of this game, or point me in the right direction?

Thanks BCB'ers